1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a golf practice net assembly and, more particularly, to a net assembly capable of allowing a user to easily and conveniently practice tee-shots in a limited area, with a net of the assembly being appropriately tensioned so as to effectively stop flying golf balls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, golf is played on a golf course which has an area exceedingly larger than that of other ball games. While playing golf, a golfer drives and putts a ball on a golf course. In the past, golf was regarded as a luxurious sport in many countries due to expensive golf equipment and high admission fees of the golf courses, thus being limitedly played by affluent people. However, in recent years, golf has been popularized in many countries. It is necessary for golfers to practice tee-shots. In order to practice tee-shots, golfers may practice at a golf practice range.
Such golf practice ranges are built on large areas of land allowing users to drive golf balls a long distance. Due to the large areas, the building and managing cost of the golf practice ranges is increased and this results in high admission fees of to the golf practice ranges. The golf practice ranges thus force users to pay much money in addition to consumption of time to visit, thus being inconvenient to the users. In an effort to overcome the problems experienced in the golf practice ranges, a golf practice net assembly has been proposed and used.
FIG. 1 is a view, showing a typical golf practice net assembly capable of allowing a user to practice tee-shots in a limited area. As shown in the drawing, the typical net assembly 1 comprises a net 4 held by a support pipe frame. The above pipe frame is formed by a plurality of flexible support pipes 2. In order to pitch the net assembly 1, the support pipes 2 are primarily coupled to each other into a pipe frame prior to being set on a support surface. In such a case, the pipe frame is bent into an arc-shaped configuration with both ends of the frame being held on the support surface. After securing the pipe frame to the support surface, the net 4 is held on the frame using a plurality of tieing bands 6, thus being pitched on the support surface.
However, the above net assembly 1 is problematic in that the pipe frame is only set on a support surface by both ends thereof without having any separate support means, thus failing to firmly support the net assembly 1. The net assembly 1 may thus easily fall over backward when it stops a flying ball. The net assembly 1 forms a two-dimensional stopping surface with a limited area, thus sometimes failing to stop a golf ball when the driving direction of the ball diverges from the stopping area of the assembly 1. In such a case, the ball may strike a person around the net assembly 1, thus causing safety hazards. Another problem of the above net assembly 1 resides in that the net 4 is not desirably tensioned, but is somewhat loosened, thus failing to appropriately stop flying balls.